B-25 Mitchell aircraft in Catch-22
When Catch-22 began preliminary production, Paramount made a decision to hire the Tallmantz Aviation organization to obtain sufficient B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft to recreate a Mediterranean wartime base as depicted in the Joseph Heller novel of the same name. Tallmantz president, Frank G. Tallman ended up finding war-surplus aircraft, and eventually gathered not only pilots to fly the aircraft but also a ground support crew to maintain the fleet.Farmer 1972, p. 22. Aircraft The Catch-22's budget could only accommodate 17 flyable B-25 Mitchells, and an additional non-flyable hulk was acquired in Mexico, made barely ferry-able and flown with landing gear down to the Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico filming location, only to be burned and destroyed in the landing crash scene. The wreck was then buried in the ground next to the runway, where it remains to this day. Paramount planned to film the '' Catch-22'' aerial sequences for six weeks, but the production required three months to shoot and the bombers flew a total of about 1,500 hours. They would appear on screen for 12 minutes. Fifteen of the 18 bombers used in the film still remain intact, including one on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum."North American B-25J-20NC (TB-25N) Mitchell Carol Jean." NASM. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6A B-25H-1NA 43-4513 (N1203), Olive Drab B-25C, Unknown - Camera ship * 6B B-25J-30NC 44-86843 (N3507G), " Passionette Paulette 03507G ", Olive Drab B-25J, Grissom AFB, Indiana, (D)"B-25J." Grissom AFB, Indiana.''Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * '''6C' B-25J-25NC 44-29939 (N9456Z), (girl on bomb) 09456Z ", Camouflage B-25J, Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania, (A) "B-25J." Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * '''6D' B-25J-30NC 44-31032 (N3174G), " Free, Fast and Ready 13174G ", Olive Drab B-25J, March AFB, California, (D)"B-25J." March AFB, California. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6F B-25J-15NC 43-28925 (N7687G), " Superman ", Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, Texas, (A) "B-25J." Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, Texas. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6G B-25J-5NC 43-28204 (N9856C), " Booby Trap 39856C ", Olive Drab B-25J, Aero Traders, Chino, California, (A)"B-25J." Aero Traders, Chino, California. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6H B-25J-25NC 44-30748 (N8195H), " ' Heavenly Body ' ", Camouflage B-25J, (A) Van Nuys, California,Pupich, Milan S. "B-25J." B25.net. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6I B-25J-30NC 44-30925 (N9494Z), " Laden Maiden ", Desert Tan B-25J, Brussels Air Museum Foundation, Belgium, ®"B-25J." Brussels Air Museum Foundation, Belgium. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6J B-25J-30NC 44-86701 (N7681C), " Annzas " - 25 missions, Camouflage B-25J, Musee de l'Air, Paris - Destroyed; Hangar Fire * 6K B-25J-25NC 44-30801 (N3699G), " Vestal Virgin 13699G ", Olive Drab B-25J, American Aeronautical Foundation, Camarillo, California, (A)"B-25J." American Aeronautical Foundation, Camarillo, California. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6M B-25J-20NC 44-29366 (N9115Z), " aBominable Snowman ", Olive Drab B-25J, (D)"B-25J." RAF Bomber Command Museum, London. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6N B-25H-1NA 43-4432 (N10V), " Berlin Express 410V ", Camouflage B-25J, EAA Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, (D)"B-25J." EAA Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6Q B-25J-25NC 44-30077 (N2849G), " The Denver Dumper ", Olive Drab B-25J, Pacific Aviation Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, (D) * 6S B-25J-35NC 44-8843 (XB-HEY), Camouflage B-25C; Destroyed. * 6V B-25J-25NC 44-30493 (N9451Z), " Dumbo 39451Z ", Olive Drab B-25C, Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Montana, (D)"B-25J." Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Montana Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6W B-25J-25NC 44-30649 (N9452Z), " Hot Pants 32452Z ", B-25C, (D) Maxwell AFB, Alabama * 6Y B-25J-20NC 44-29887 (N10564), " 6Y Luscious Lulu, Olive Drab, NASM, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia, (D)"B-25J." NASM, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * 6? B-25J-25NC 44-30823 (N1042B), (nude on bomb) Olive Drab - Camera ship, Fort Worth, Texas, (A)Terry, Jim. "B-25J." B25.org, Fort Worth, Texas. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. * B-25J Dumbo, nose section, Tennessee Air Museum, Sevierville, Tennessee, (D) "B-25J." Tennessee Air Museum, Sevierville, Tennessee. Retrieved: 28 January 2012. All the B-25s had the tip of the vertical stabilizer painted blue. For the film, mock upper turrets were installed. To represent different models several aircraft had the turrets installed behind the wings representing early (B-25C/D type) aircraft. Initially, the camera ships also had the mock turrets installed, but problems with buffeting required their removal. See also * North American B-25 Mitchell survivors References ;Notes ;Bibliography * Dolan Edward F. Jr. Hollywood Goes to War. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-229-7. * Farmer, James H. "The Catch-22 Air Force." Air Classics, Volume 8, No. 14, December 1972. * Harwick, Jack and Ed Schnepf. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies". The Making of the Great Aviation Films, General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989. * Orriss, Bruce. When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II. Hawthorne, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-9613088-0-X. External links * [http://www.warbirdregistry.org/B25registry/B25registry.html Warbird Registry] * Catch-22 Camera Aircraft history * B-25 survivors * Category:Catch-22 Category:North American Aviation aircraft Category:1930s United States bomber aircraft